Natural plasters will be used for rendering the straw bale constructions. Like icing the cake, plastering a wall is one of the most fun, creative and satisfying parts of the natural building process. Straw bale walls need plaster to protect, lighten and beautify them, yet conventional cement mixes can actually make them more vulnerable to water damage.

The straw bale constructions will display clay-based scratch coats, finish plasters and colourful washes that let the walls breathe freely, using non-toxic ingredients which are generally very inexpensive.

Annual hands-on workshops will add features to the gardens and will teach local community about natural building techniques which are currently enjoying a renaissance in numerous regions of Australia, Europe and North America.

[ > NEXT >]